Access this Article

Search this Article

Author(s)

Abstract

<p>We verified the usefulness of the RAPIRUN<sup>®</sup> <i>S. pneumoniae</i> HS (Otitis media and Rhinosinusitis) kit (RAPIRUN HS) as a screening test during the initial examination for acute rhinosinusitis (ARS).</p><p>The study subjects consisted of 100 pediatric patients with ARS examined at our clinic between January and June 2014. Of the 100 cases, 50 were treated based on the results of the RAPIRUN HS rapid test (RAPIRUN HS group), while the remaining 50 were treated in accordance with clinical guidelines for the management of ARS (control group). The selected antimicrobial agents, recovery period, and other factors were compared between the groups and evaluated.</p><p>The RAPIRUN HS group comprised 50 patients with a median age of 5.0 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1:1; of the 50, 21 patients were diagnosed as having moderate rhinosinusitis, and 29 as having severe rhinosinusitis. The control group comprised 50 patients with a median age of 4.5 years and a male-to-female ratio of 27:23; 20 patients of this group were diagnosed as having moderate rhinosinusitis, and 30 as having severe rhinosinusitis.</p><p>In terms of the overall performance, the RAPIRUN HS showed a sensitivity of 73.3% and specificity of 100% for the diagnosis of rhinosinusitis, when culture results were used as the reference. The sensitivity of RAPIRUN HS tended to decrease in cases with a shorter interval between the onset of ARS and the date of examination in cases with small bacterial counts. The recovery period in the RAPIRUN HS group was <7 days in 25 patients and ≥7 days in 25 patients, while that in the control group was <7 days in 13 patients and ≥7 days in 36 patients (one patient did not re-visit). The percentage of patients who healed within 7 days was thus significantly higher in the RAPIRUN HS group.</p><p>The results of this study suggest that selection of antimicrobial agents on the basis of the results of the RAPIRUN HS rapid test allows shortening of the treatment period and reduction of the burden on the patients and their guardians.</p>